


A Little Bit of Magic

by NamelesslyNightlock, Rabentochter, STARSdidathing



Category: Iron Man (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), Thor (Movies)
Genre: 5+1 Things, Adorkable, Attraction, Avenger Loki (Marvel), BAMF Loki (Marvel), BAMF Tony Stark, Card Games, Crushes, Cutesy, Developing Relationship, Fluff, Fluffy Ending, Friends to Lovers, Funny Smut, Gambling, Getting Together, Hand Jobs, Humor, Las Vegas, Loki & Tony Stark Friendship, Loki (Marvel) Needs a Hug, Loki (Marvel) is Not Amused, M/M, Magic Tricks, Mild Hurt/Comfort, Protective Loki (Marvel), Smut, Tea, Thor (Marvel) Loves Pop-Tarts, Tony Stark Does What He Wants, Tony Stark Has A Heart, Wordcount: 5.000-10.000
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-07
Updated: 2020-01-07
Packaged: 2021-02-27 07:53:45
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,760
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22153591
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NamelesslyNightlock/pseuds/NamelesslyNightlock, https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rabentochter/pseuds/Rabentochter, https://archiveofourown.org/users/STARSdidathing/pseuds/STARSdidathing
Summary: Five times Tony tried to impress Loki with a magic trick, and the one time he finally managed it.
Relationships: Loki/Tony Stark
Comments: 85
Kudos: 883





	A Little Bit of Magic

**Author's Note:**

> WE WROTE THIS COLLAB TO CELEBRATE ONE YEAR OF US BEING FRIENDS ~~AND PLYING EACH OTHER WITH PROMPTS~~  
>   
>  Inspired by [this.](https://tenor.com/view/magic-shia-la-beouf-flowers-spirit-fingers-snl-gif-7166145)

** —1— **

Loki was not only a recent addition to the tower, but he was also a grumpy one. He was prickly, moody, prone to threats and all around annoyed the Avengers.

Or, well, _most_ of the Avengers.

Tony had never been one to back down from a fight or show fear. He stood up to Loki, argued with him, and poked him to get a reaction.

Surprisingly, Loki seemed intrigued by his behaviour and started seeking him out solely to argue with him.

Only, after a few weeks, it wasn’t so much arguing as bantering. They even started collaborating on projects. Tony soon had to admit; he got along with Loki better than anyone else on the team. It wasn’t that they were best friends, or even that they never fought. It was that they _understood_ each other. They _respected_ each other. They also knew when to stop pushing or to offer a distraction.

So, when Tony was walking past the common room and saw Loki sitting on the couch, staring out the window and looking ready to knife anyone who came close – Tony knew he was upset.

He also knew pity, commiseration, a friendly ear or an offer of comfort would not go down well.

It was why he searched the room for something to do to pull Loki out of his bad mood. Tony alighted on the fridge and grinned. He made his way over, casually swiping one of the magnets from it before coming to sit on the coffee table beside Loki.

The mage was lying lengthwise across the couch. He turned to Tony with a warning glare. Tony frowned in return.

“You know, Loki. You could have just asked.”

Confusion marred Loki’s expression. “Pardon? 

“I would have said yes. No need to pout like this.”

“What in the Norns are you on about?”

Tony gestured with the hand not palming the magnet.

“Taking it off the fridge. I would have taken you there.”

Loki looked at the fridge, his confusion only deepening. He turned back to Tony, his warning glare returning. “What are you on about, Stark?”

Tony sighed dramatically. “Vegas. Obviously.”

“Vegas.”

“Yeah. You didn’t have to steal a poker chip.”

“I did no such thing,” Loki stated.

“Really?”

Tony raised his eyebrows before reaching forward. Loki stiffened, and Tony used the opportunity to brush behind the shell of Loki’s ear, feeling soft, black hair before sliding the red poker chip between his fingers.

He pulled back his hand with the souvenir magnet on full display.

“Why else would you have it in your hair?”

The expression on Loki’s face was a mixture of incredulity and disdain. Tony just winked and used his thumb to flip the token in the air before catching it in his hand.

“I’ll be ready in a half hour, Lokes. Vegas won’t know what hit it.”

When he flicked the coin a second time, he directed it towards Loki who automatically grabbed it. He then looked down at the coin with continued disbelief.

Tony stood with a smirk. Feeling rather pleased with himself. Loki looked less grumpy and they were off to Las Vegas. Clearly, he should do magic tricks more often.

** —2— **

Loki seemed to use the flight to Vegas as an opportunity to practice his glare– not that, in Tony’s opinion, the expression needed any kind of perfecting. Loki could already make even _Natasha_ look a little uncomfortable with the force of his narrowed gaze.

But, yeah. A six-hour flight, and Loki spent the whole thing trying to burn a hole in the wall, as if he’d turned into Clark Kent.

Tony had worried that this would happen– his original, impulsive, not-really-thought-out-at-all plan had been for Loki to teleport them across the country, but Loki’s expression when Tony had suggested it threw the idea out of the window immediately. Thankfully, his pilot was used to being on call for last minute business trips, knowing that Tony would reward him for the trouble more than handsomely.

It just meant that. They were stuck together, in an enclosed space. For quite a long time. And yeah, Tony really did like Loki’s company, but when he was in a mood like this and Tony didn’t even know _why—_

Well, perhaps there was something else that Tony could do. It had seemed to work the first time, right? At least a little?

After speaking to one of the flight attendants for a moment and retrieving everything that he needed, Tony steeled himself, plastered his lips with a grin and threw himself down on the comfortable, couch-like seat beside his friend.

“Hey, Lokes?” Tony asked. “Do you want to see a trick?”

Loki glanced at Tony out of the corner of his eye, looking distinctly – and yet, Tony thought, rather _purposefully_ – unamused.

“I think you’ll like it,” Tony said, deciding not to wait for an answer. And anyway, Loki always liked tricks, right? “It’s magic.”

 _That_ had Loki turning to face Tony a little more, his expression now coloured with a touch of interest. “How did you…”

“You’ll see,” Tony said. He leaned forward toward the small table in front of them, smoothed down the piece of Stark Industries letter-headed paper that he had taken from the plane’s store, and then _quickly_ placed an upturned drinking glass on top of it, just shy of the centre. “But, first, have you still got that poker chip?”

Loki pulled it from a pocket without a word– and something in Tony’s chest warmed just slightly at the knowledge that Loki had thought to hold on to it, rather than just throwing it aside.

Tony took the poker chip and placed it in the middle of the paper beside the upturned glass.

“Now, I am going to make the chip vanish,” Tony said, speaking firmly. He held a small towel in his hands, the kind that was normally heated up, though this one remained cool and dry. Making sure that Loki was watching, he placed the towel over the glass, making a show of arranging it so that none of the glass was showing– and then with a flourish, he lifted the towel-covered glass and placed it down on top of the chip, so that the magnet was hidden from view.

“Abracadabra!” Tony exclaimed—

And then he whipped the towel away to show that– indeed, the glass was over the top of where the chip had been, but… the chip was gone.

Tony’s grin widened, and he looked to Loki to see his reaction.

But, Loki’s expression was entirely blank.

“Stark,” he said. “That is not magic. Please… tell me you are aware that what you are doing is not _magic.”_

“Aw what, you’re not impressed?” Tony asked, making sure to inject as much amusement into his tone as he could. “I mean, yeah maybe, but I _did_ just make a coin vanish. I bet you can’t even—”

Without missing a beat, Loki reached out with one hand and grabbed the glass– revealing the chip, which had been hidden beneath the perfectly round piece of paper Tony had stuck to the opening of the glass.

“Yes,” Loki said curtly. “Very impressive.”

Tony reached out and snatched the glass back. “Well, all right, then,” he said. “That’s fine. I’m just going to have to try harder next time.”

Loki seemed to pause at that, thinking it over before responding. “Next time?”

“Well, yeah,” Tony said teasingly, throwing in a wink. “You know what they say. Practice makes perfect, and I’m going to perfect my _magic tricks_ at least enough to get you to smile.”

That gained Tony an eyeroll, but, hey. Loki wasn’t glaring at the wall of the plane anymore, so. Tony would count it as a win.

** —3— **

Waiting was a virtue Tony never fully mastered despite trying it. But he simply liked to fiddle around or scribble new ideas down on his phone or a piece of paper when he was trapped in a meeting. He just _couldn’t_ wait, it was as if lightning bolts were running through him, electrifying him until he got up and found something to busy himself with. And a meeting was _boring,_ and he felt like he’d heard it all before in any variation, so those didn’t count.

Yet this time Tony promised himself to do the seemingly impossible: to be patient. Even when he wanted to throw a bunch of flowers into Loki’s face and say, “ _Tadaaa!_ ” or something as ridiculous, he stilled the urge. He knew Loki was _waiting_ for him to show him the next trick—

Only a small voice in the back of his head told him that there was a possibility Loki was _not_ waiting but Tony had gotten better at ignoring that nuisance.

Occasionally he caught the Trickster from the corner of his eyes shooting glances at him he couldn’t fully read because well, this was _Loki_ and if there was someone who could pull off a poker face, then it was Loki.

So, Tony waited as the plane continued to glide through the clouds– which were below them but it didn’t make it sound as _poetic_ , Tony found and he nudged Loki’s foot with his, which resulted in an annoyed glare. Tony continued to test his own strained nerves which wanted him to _act_ but he smiled at the other people at the airport and blinded them with his charm.

They drove to the hotel and Loki looked vaguely interested out of the dirty window as they passed the Zombie Apocalypse Store. Because _of course_ that was what got his attention. Tony smirked into his goatee; he’d remember that for later. Maybe if they still had time and weren’t completely enthralled by the regulated chaos in the Casinos.

“Have you ever been here?” he asked Loki, curious all of sudden.

A perfect black eyebrow shot up. The tricky silence Loki had put upon them ever since the innocent foot nudge, continued to weigh heavily on Tony’s shoulders and he swore, his hair looked less _glamorous_ in the light of the taxi.

“You know,” Tony continued, “caused chaos in some casinos that blacklisted you. I’d like to know so we don’t _accidentally_ go in there and stir up trouble.”

The eyebrow stayed right where it was.

“Or were you a card dealer?”

The eyebrow might have twitched, and Loki blinked, but Tony wasn’t a hundred percent sure since this happened so fast. Not even stocks from Hammer Industries fell that quickly and that did say a lot.

“Or did you rob a bank?”

“ _Stark._ ” Loki almost rolled his eyes. “I am a _prince._ Do you really think I would lower myself enough to steal coin when I have more than enough in my pockets?”

Tony opened his mouth. Closed it. “The way you phrased this makes me fear a love stab if I answer wrong.”

Loki almost smiled at that, which also marked the end of the conversation because the taxi came to a stop in front of the hotel JARVIS had chosen for them. Tony gave the driver a tip in the usual Tony Stark flair before he joined Loki in the pompous lobby and checked them in at the reception without further ado.

It was a nice suite, Tony admitted to himself as they emptied their suitcases and he hummed a melody under his breath. It might have been _Shoot to Thrill_ , a song Tony associated a lot with Loki for reasons—

“Do you want a drink?” He asked, turning around and kicking the suitcase shut as he did so. _Score_. He offered a bright grin to his somehow still reluctant companion.

“Is there a kettle?”

 _Tea. Of course._ Tony bit back a smile, knowing Loki’s drink preferences quite well, and he rummaged through the small kitchen they had. There _was_ a kettle, much to Tony’s surprise. But then, he probably paid more than enough to this hotel, so a kettle should be included. They probably demanded 5$ for the use of a teabag though.

He poured Loki a mug of tea a bit later, and it seemed as if life was being breathed into the pale cheeks, green hearts flying out of Loki’s eyes as he stared into the hot liquid a gently smile tilting his lips upward. There were no green hearts per se but for Tony it was as if they were. Loki looked content there in the armchair, his legs sprawled apart because sometimes he seemed to forget he was a prince and oh _well—_

Tony didn’t mind a single bit.

He let Loki enjoy his tea in peace while he read on his phone about casinos JARVIS recommended—

And the ones he _didn’t_ recommend which was way more important. Then, he pocketed his phone and stood up, his nerves running low because _now–_ now he was going to pull off his trick when Loki – hopefully – had lowered his guard, lured in by the fake security of blueberry tea.

“Loki,” he said as sincere as he could, which was not a challenge at all because he liked talking to the Trickster.

Loki looked at him, an eyebrow slowly going upwards.

Tony cleared his throat. “Since I have no idea how this night will go, can I just say –“ he pulled flowers up from his jacket for Loki out of _nowhere_ and presented them to him in a flourish gesture. “ _Thank you,_ for letting me appear on your arm tonight as we will wreak havoc in this chaotic city.”

Loki. Blinked.

“I know. _I know.”_ Tony threw him a wink. “They’re not roses but I doubt they would have survived the travel. But I thought you’d appreciate them more since they’re in green.”

And the plastic flowers really were in green. Tony really counted himself lucky to have found some _magic flowers_ in Loki’s trademark green, it made them all the sweeter and ironic. Like the Trickster opposite to him.

“Thank you,” Loki said dryly as he reached for the flowers. “I appreciate the plastic, Stark.”

“I know you do.” Tony nodded and let his fingers brush Loki’s, accidentally.

“And in particular, that you pulled them out of your sleeve.”

“Spoilsport,” Tony countered in a light tone. “Just enjoy the flowers.”

** —4— **

The thing about numbers is that they flow through Tony’s mind with the same kind of ease that a waterfall cascades over a sheer cliff of rock. Numbers just made _sense_ to him, just connected together into a pattern that he could read more easily than words on a page.

Numbers were his _language,_ and he understood them far better than anything else—

Which was why it _might_ have been a good idea for Tony to avoid the card tables in the casino.

Usually, he did. Dice was more his game, anyway, since it provided the thrill of sheer luck, the adrenaline of having absolutely no control over whether he was going to win or lose. But…

Well, Loki thought dice was boring. He was wearing an unimpressed frown again, the crease between his brows the kind that let Tony know he was only _this close_ to turning on his heel and leaving without another word. And as much as Tony wished he could ask Loki to kiss his hand for luck before he threw down the dice, as much as he yearned to feel those lips upon his skin – in _any_ capacity – he knew that he was going to have to think of something else or risk Loki teleporting himself back to New York and abandoning Tony in Vegas.

So, Tony thought about it. He thought about the slot machines, the roulette, about any other number of games on offer– but anything based upon _luck_ was something that would continue to bore Loki to madness. Tony knew, after all, that Loki’d had enough left to chance in his life. He didn’t like to be passive in things, he didn’t need the exact same kind of escape that Tony did. Loki liked to make his _own_ luck, liked to be more involved in something where his own choices _mattered—_

Which was why… after probably not enough time considering the consequences, Tony took Loki by the hand and dragged him over to one of the tables where a game of blackjack was in full swing.

It wasn’t hard to pick the right table– just a cursory glance had Tony already knowing which deck would be the one most likely to offer an advantage. The dealer considered Tony for a second as they sat down, and Tony wondered for half a moment if he was going to be turned away– but then Tony spread a pile of chips down for both himself and for Loki, and the sheer number of them had the dealer nodding in assent.

Tony thought that the glass of scotch in his hand likely helped that decision too, as well as the results of the three he had already imbibed. But… well, yeah, Tony might have been drinking, but that had absolutely no bearing on his genius. Honestly, surely that, at least, was something that people should have already been able to work out about him, if nothing else.

And… as the dealer began laying down the cards, Tony’s eyes darted from number to _number_ , keeping track of every one, remembering what was left in the deck, following every pattern—

It wasn’t that he was doing it on purpose. He didn’t mean to start counting, he just… he couldn’t _help_ it. Numbers became patterns, and the patterns made _sense—_

And Tony wasn’t about to go and lose on purpose, was he? Not when Loki was sitting right there _._

Because, Loki had thus far been unimpressed with all of Tony’s magic tricks, but… maybe, maybe Tony could impress Loki with something else. Maybe, if he could prove himself like this in a game of smarts, by coming so clearly on top in this game, then… well, it was a long shot. But Tony wasn’t about to give up.

And perhaps counting cards was something close enough to magic to still count as a trick, right?

(Tony could only hope.)

Well, Loki was certainly enjoying himself more than he had been playing dice, that much was clear. He too was watching the cards carefully, his gaze flicking across each one that was dealt. He’d picked up the rules of the game very quickly, and it was clear that he was deliberating every decision with care. He was a master strategist, and Tony was sure it wouldn’t take him long to pick up on the patterns either– but in the meantime, they were both having _fun._

The cards were falling in quick succession, the chips were sliding across the table—

And Loki was actually starting to _smile._

Tony wasn’t sure what it was. It might have been the thrill of it, like it was for him– though of course, gambling didn’t hit the same kind of high note that it used to, not now that he was used to flying around in a tin can. Or perhaps it was just that here, Loki could lose himself in the lights and the sounds, the atmosphere of the casino working to clear away whatever it was that had been worrying him before.

They were sitting so very close together, leaning closer with every round they won, their arms brushing every now and then. When Tony first felt a leg bump against his own under the table, he thought that he must have been imagining things– but as he glanced over to look, he saw that Loki’s lips were turned up into a small smile, and his cheeks… well, it might have just been a trick of the coloured lights, but. Tony was pretty sure those cheeks were not as pale as they usually were.

Regardless, it was certainly the calmest Loki had seemed since they had left New York, and Tony found it really difficult to pull his gaze away– difficult enough that he had to be prompted by the dealer when it was his next turn. 

He’d lost his count and he lost the round, but that warmth of Loki’s leg pressed against his own was worth a couple thousand dollars.

And he won the following round anyway, so it was hardly even a loss. Not that he even needed the money—

“Excuse me, Mr Stark.”

Tony almost jumped out of his _skin_ at the sound of a voice at his shoulder, and he looked up to see a large guy in a suit, wearing an earpiece. _Security,_ his mind supplied.

“You’re going to need to come with us.”

Tony had only just managed to open his mouth to respond when someone else managed to beat him to it—

“He’s not going anywhere.” Loki’s smile was long gone, his glare sharp enough that it should have had any living creature quivering. But, casino security must see more than the average number of scary folk, for the three suited men waiting for Tony to leave the game did not even flinch. They continued staring Tony down, patient and unrelenting.

And Tony knew it would only be a matter of time before they just, grabbed him or something.

Goddamn it. He really should have known better than to start counting the cards—

“Mr Stark,” one of the men said again. “This is your final warning. Come quietly, or we shall have to use force.”

“Fellas,” Tony said, spreading his hands. “I think there must be some kind of mistake. I haven’t done anything wrong.”

Unfortunately, the men remained unmoved– well, at least until they moved _forward_ with the clear intention of taking Tony in. And, look, maybe it would have paid to go quietly. Tony had seen the movies, yeah, but he was fairly certain that the casino wouldn’t risk beating up _Tony Stark_ just because he was counting cards, right?

Well, he never got to find out, because that second all three security guards went flying _backward,_ thrown off their feet by a blast of seiðr that exploded out from Tony’s right—

And then, well. That was that, wasn’t it?

People were running, screaming, scrambling all over the room like ants that’d had their nest disturbed. But that worked in Tony and Loki’s advantage– more security was trying to get to them, but the scared people were getting in the way.

The three who were already there were back on their feet, and they were advancing with renewed energy– because, well. Tony supposed that Loki had managed to make things personal, hadn’t he?

And this was not exactly great, because Tony had _not_ been planning on getting in a fight that night. He was without a weapon– he hadn’t brought a gauntlet with him, sure that security would have taken it off him at the door, and he hadn’t wanted to risk his tech falling into the wrong hands—

But Loki? He was _never_ unarmed. He had yet to pull out a dagger, though Tony knew that he must have a few hidden away in an accessible pocket dimension. But he hardly needed it, for it appeared he was more than capable of pushing the security guards away with no more than his bare hands.

Which Tony was grateful for, really. This was going to turn into enough of a clusterfuck for the PR team to deal with even _without_ actual blood being spilled.

Although.

That being said, Tony couldn’t just leave Loki to do all the work, that was _not_ the way to impress someone– so he glanced around quickly, looking for anything that he could—

Ah, yes. _Perfect._

The deck fit comfortable into Tony’s left hand, and he took a single card in his right before glancing to Loki out of the corner of his eyes.

“Hey, Lokes, do you want to see another magic trick?” Tony asked– and then, without waiting for an answer he pulled back his arm and then snapped his wrist forward, sending the card flying from his fingers and spinning toward the closest security guard.

The card hit its target perfectly, leaving a painful mark in the centre of the security guy’s forehead and causing him to howl in pain.

“Nice,” Tony grinned, turning to Loki once again. “What do you think?”

Loki, the unappreciative bastard, _rolled his eyes_ —

Then he lifted both hands so that his palms were facing the floor, fingers spread and sparking with seiðr—

And when he slammed them back down toward the ground, _every single card_ in the casino, including the ones in Tony’s hands, began to float in the air, each one glowing a faint, ghostly green.

“Oh, shit,” Tony whispered, staring at the cards that had just pulled free from his grip and were now floating just in front of his face. “Uh, Lokes—”

Before Tony could get the words out, Loki was throwing out his hands again, and every card flew through the air at a speed Tony couldn’t have hoped to reach before swarming around security and attacking the three men like a cloud of miniature, rectangular vultures.

Tony blinked for a moment, seeing and believing but, not quite, _comprehending—_

“Come on, now,” Loki hissed, taking Tony’s hand. “Time to go!”

They left their chips on the table and ran past where the security guards were swatting at the cards. They practically dove between the slot machines, swerved around a corner to avoid a security guard that seemed to come out of nowhere and then—

“In here!” Tony pulled Loki toward a bathroom and yanked open the door, letting Loki go in first. The moment they were both inside, Loki spun around and slammed both his hands against the closed door—

Which meant that they were either side of Tony’s head, as Tony had come in behind him.

Tony could do little more than stare as Loki’s brow furrowed in concentration, his eyes shining a little brighter than normal as he used his seiðr to – at least, Tony could only assume – seal the door. It didn’t take very long before he was done, his gaze flicking down to meet Tony’s—

And Tony expected that Loki would back off, then. That he would pull away just as he always did, that the moment would end and this electric spark in the air would die down to nothing—

But Loki… didn’t.

He was gazing down at Tony like… like he was thinking the same thing Tony was. Those green eyes flickered down for a moment, as if he were looking at Tony’s lips– and then he leaned a little closer, so close that as Tony tilted up his chin a bit in response, their noses lightly brushed.

Tony’s heart was already beating fast from the adrenaline, but that was nothing compared to the way that it raced as their eyes fluttered closed, as Loki’s breath whispered over his skin—

And then their lips touched, brushing together so lightly that it could hardly be called a kiss at all.

Though, the lightness hardly lasted long. The moment that they were both sure neither was going to pull away, they moment they had reassured themselves that it was _real_ , their already tightly-strung bodies reacted to the sudden and unexpected acquisition of something so long yearned for—

And they clutched each other close, the kiss deepening, their mouths sliding together with sharp passion and their hands exploring heated flesh with desperate abandon. Tony moaned as Loki pressed him up against the door, their bodies flush together, his spine arching to try and get closer still—

“Stark!”

The muffled shout was accompanied by heavy banging, the door vibrating against Tony’s back from the force of it.

“Come out, _now,_ or things will only get worse!”

Tony chose to ignore the security guards, and looked up to meet Loki’s gaze once more.

“I think it might be time to take this somewhere else,” Tony said, not quite able to hide the hope in his voice that mixed in amongst the desire. “Somewhere more private?”

There was a chance, of course, that Loki still would not want—

“I think that is a fantastic idea,” Loki agreed– leaning down once more—

Tony groaned as Loki kissed him again, as one of Loki’s hands tugged at his hair while the other slid under his shirt– and as he felt the familiar tingle of Loki’s magic over his skin. And Loki didn’t stop kissing him, only pulled him all the closer as his seiðr pulled them both away from the casino.

** —5— **

They were falling through space, Loki’s hand roaming pleasantly over Tony’s body below his sudden annoying shirt. Was it possible to shiver because of heat when the touches bestowed upon one were cold? Tony wasn’t sure how this was possible, but Loki _was_ cold, his kiss hot and wind was tearing at Tony’s clothes. Travelling with Loki was something else, good, crazy, _fantastic,_ and Tony was sure they hit Mach 3 and went beyond.

It was making out in super-fast speed and there was nothing Tony would rather do in this moment.

As his back hit the bed, he broke their kiss with a gasp. Loki looked down on him with a heated gaze, his eyes warmed by lust and desire and it was for _him_. And for some reason, Tony almost couldn’t believe it. He had his days as a playboy, knew the look people gave him when they were in his bed but—

Loki’s finger ran over his scalp gently, sending shivers through him.

“Hi,” Tony said with an impish grin.

“Hello Stark,” Loki replied evenly. His lips were ghosting over Tony’s, gentle, almost there and torturing him with the not-quite-touch. Tony hummed thoughtfully, his hands running over Loki’s muscular shoulders.

“I have one rule in my bedroom.”

Loki looked at him curiously. He removed his hand from its spot under Tony’s shirt, instead started to unbutton it. Tony took a moment to admire Loki’s long and slender fingers, moving so quick and so sure, knowing just how to twist each button and before he found his voice and his thoughts again, his shirt fell open.

“Quick fingers,” he muttered. He found immense pleasure and delight in taking one of the hands in his, feeling the soft marble for himself; and as he ran his thumb over the knuckles, down each finger and tried to feel the strength he knew where hidden in them. He noticed each line, however deep or light they were and the small hairs that were tickling him just so. “I wonder what else you can do with them.”

“You can find out if you so desire,” Loki promised him, a soft smirk pulling on his lips.

“I like that,” Tony purred before he pressed a kiss to the fingers. They tasted of _energy,_ the kiss tickled on his lips and it made him smile as he peered up to Loki.

The dilated pupils, the small blush on pale gorgeousness and yet—

“Don’t call me Stark in bed.” He raised his brows. “And I _won’t_ debate with you over that, Lokes. That’s a no-go.”

A solemn look crossed Loki’s face. “If that’s your wish, then I won’t call you that.” He seemed to ponder something as he was kneeling there above Tony. His thumb was rubbing over Tony’s wrist – did he mention yet that Loki had seriously unfair long ones? – and his pulse sped up.

“How about _Anthony?”_ Loki asked, his voice a sinful suggestion as the three syllables fell from his lips.

“That works,” Tony decided unceremoniously before he rolled them over so he was the one atop. Loki’s hair fanned out like a dark wave on Tony’s dark golden pillows and he pressed a kiss to Loki’s lips. There was something special about kissing the Trickster and Tony couldn’t get enough of it.

There were no fireworks in the sky, but for Tony they were dancing and exploding in his mind as they kept going and he moaned softly.

“Too many clothes,” he decided and stared at Loki. At least _his_ shirt was already open, right?

Loki snorted, waved with his hands and—

Tony _gaped_. “Now, _that_ is a handy trick.”

“You’re welcome.” Loki bucked up beneath him, rubbed their dicks together which made Tony feel _warm,_ very warm all over, even as it was spreading up from below. Tony lowered his head, grinning into Loki’s neck as he started to kiss it all over. As it turned out Loki was _extremely_ sensitive there, small gasps fleeing his mouth and Tony did his best not to preen _too much_ but—

How could he not boast a _little?_ There was a literal god in his bed and made some of the most beautiful noises Tony had ever heard, the deep raspy growl among his favourites when Tony wandered further south and closed his lips around a nipple and sucked.

He could hear the sheets as Loki grabbed hold of them. He swirled his tongue around the nipple before he grazed over it with his teeth. And his Trickster laid there, panting, and looked at Tony like he was Devil Incarnate himself when he dared to stop.

 _But –_ Tony bit on his lips to stop the smirk from showing as he crawled up Loki’s body, kissing him sweetly– _how could Tony resist a last trick?_ He couldn’t, he never would and while he distracted Loki as he tugged softly at the long hair and saw the other close his eyes in heated satisfaction, he sneaked his other hand below the pillow next to them.

_Hopefully it was still there—_

He rubbed his tongue against Loki’s as he pulled his hand back, the tube of lube safe in his hands.

“Do you want to see another trick?” Tony whispered and his empty hand wandered down Loki’s side, over the ribs and down to the hips. Then he lifted his hips, just a _bit_ and his hand wandered dangerously close to where Loki’s dick was. And Loki _noticed_ , the suspicion was leaving his eyes in a hurry, expecting obviously a _treat_ and oh—

Reminder at himself to show Loki in October the wonders of ‘Trick or Treat’.

“ _Yes—”_

Tony gave Loki a kiss for that, then threw the lube in the air and caught it with his other hand. “Surprise, it’s _Magic lube,”_ he purred.

There was no response.

“Surprise?” Tony tried again.

Loki bit on his lips before he asked, “Is that the part where I say, ‘I did not see that _coming_?’”

Tony snorted. “Yes. Yes, that is _exactly_ that part.”

He opened the cap of the tube, rubbing it warm hurriedly before he wrapped his hand around their dicks. There were more kisses which turned messier with time. Loki’s hand joined Tony’s and the irregular rhythm of pulling and rubbing, it was _exciting_ and made them both chuckle hoarsely when their hands bumped together and it all came to a stop for a second.

Tony didn’t often have sex which was allowed to be fun or _awkward_ , usually it was about pleasing his partners but Loki—

Tony knew he was turning into a sap here but he blamed his brain on that, not working properly anymore, only focused on the increasingly louder moans he was getting from Loki and the tightly strung coil of pleasure in him that wanted to be _released—_

There was no pressure when he was with Loki. It was simply _falling_ and letting go, Loki’s own chuckles bouncing off on his own.

Tony nipped on Loki’s throat, his hand picking up speed and finding the spots easily that made Loki come undone in his hands. _Literally_.

It made him snort, his brain cutting short and Loki’s hand did _something_ to his dick and intense heat and pleasure was rolling over Tony in waves.

His brain was blissfully empty for a few minutes in his life and Loki’s hand rubbing over his back in lazy circles. Tony purred, pressing a gentle kiss to Loki’s collarbone.

“What made you snort?” Loki inquired, his voice a lazy slur.

“Hm.” Tony crossed his hands atop Loki’s chest, feeling the afterglow running through him. “Remember when I had my hands on your dick?”

“Yes?”

“It was a great opportunity to make a pun.”

Loki’s mouth twitched after a few seconds. “Should I feel insulted that you were capable of still _thinking_ then?”

Tony didn’t even need a second to answer. “Yes. You should. Be insulted.”

A challenging gleam sparked up in Loki’s eyes.

 _Perfect._ Tony grinned as Loki pulled him in for another kiss, starting the next round with more, well, _more_.

** —+1— **

After their trip to Vegas, Tony had expected things to change. They were dating and sleeping together, it meant some shift in their relationship, right?

Well, apart from them sharing a bed, having sex almost every night, and a little more affectionate touching… nothing really did.

Loki continued to be prickly and prone to bouts of displeasure at Earth and all who inhabited it. Tony still stayed in the lab until the early hours of the morning and ignored everyone in the tower. They were both still _themselves_ , only, they could now find each other and chase away the loneliness with laughter, kisses and a shared bed.

It had been a couple of weeks and Tony was feeling… good. Really good. Pepper had sorted out the PR nightmare that was Las Vegas, everything was calming down and Loki’s smirks were starting to lean more towards _smiles_.

Things were going really well.

Until, Thor had told a story.

Tony had only been half paying attention at the time. He was working on his tablet, pressed up against Loki on the couch. He’d felt his lover go tense and had jerked his head up in response. He caught the tail end of the story.

Thor and his friends had been in a tight spot and instead of using Loki’s battle tactics, his magic, or his unorthodox (but brilliant) ways of thinking– they’d used him as bait, as a _gimmick_.

The Avengers laughed, taking it for the light-hearted story Thor had portrayed it, but Tony could feel Loki’s coiled fury. His own anger flared to life, spurred on by Loki’s silence. He was keeping quiet, because he knew his complaining would be brushed aside and further mocked.

Tony gritted his teeth and stood up. He felt Loki’s hand twitch, not wanting to let him go. When he glanced back, Loki’s expression was hard and uncaring. Tony bent down and kissed his lover’s cheek.

“I’ll be back in a minute. I’m going to make you tea.”

Loki’s expression softened a little, and Tony was privileged to witness one of his half-smiles curl Loki’s lips. He let him go without further protest and Tony went to the kitchen with determination. He flicked on the kettle, but that was his secondary motivation.

The Avengers often complained that he kept tools in the kitchen. He had a little bit of everything everywhere. You didn’t know when you’d need something. And Tony needed something _now_.

Luckily, everyone was distracted by Thor. It meant no one was paying attention to him as he quietly grabbed items, stripped appliances of their wiring and motors and built himself something small but simple. He didn’t have all the proper tools and it was rudimentary at best, but it would do the job.

He didn’t have a flower, but he had a pop tart.

He left Loki’s tea unmade, but hopefully his lover would forgive him as he walked over to Thor.

“Hey, Thor,” he said, keeping out of view of the others. “Want a pop tart?”

His blue eyes brightened and he turned. “Ah! I would love a—”

Tony had stepped closer and when it was directly in line with his face, Tony hit a hand to his chest and released the water which flowed through the tubing and squirted Thor right in the face. And if he happened to have coloured that water with green food colouring. Well, all the better.

The Avengers gasped, Thor blinked in shock, but Loki, he _laughed_.

Tony’s head snapped away from Thor to look at the Trickster. His head was thrown back and he was _cackling_. His eyes were squeezed shut and his dimples were revealed.

Tony felt warmth and affection flood him, and even as the Avengers started to complain, and Thor grumbled under his breath, Tony barely heard them.

He only had eyes for his lover who he’d finally managed to cheer up with a magic trick.


End file.
